$20 Million Verdict for Chester County Contractor Whose Leg Was Crushed by 10-Year-Old Boy

$20 Million Verdict for Chester County Contractor Whose Leg Was Crushed by 10-Year-Old Boy

A Philadelphia Common Pleas jury awarded a $20 million verdict to a Chester County man whose left leg was crushed by a 10-year-old boy allowed to operate a five-ton machine at a work site.

Ruick Rolland was working as a contractor at the estate of Bruce Irrgang on a project to replicate the Hogan Bridge from Augusta National Golf Course in 2009 when his leg was injured by a track loader operated by the 10-year-old son of Steven Senn, a construction company owner. Rolland’s leg was amputated above the knee.

The jury awarded $18 million for damages to Rolland and $2 million to his wife, Holly. Their attorney, Paul A. Lauricella, said the jury also awarded $16,000 in punitive damages.

Irrgang rented the machinery through his construction company, and he and his company were found to be 32 percent at fault for the harm caused to Rolland.